Railway-rail joint.



'No. 724,355. 'PATENTED MAR. 31,1903. I

r. E. WATERSON. RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

APPLIGATION FILED DEUI 23, 1902.

30 MODEL.

jwzr amgazgier.

. I el hfamjcys UNI-TED. STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK E. VVATERSON, OF GOS HEBL I NDIANA.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOI T.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,355, dated March e1, 1903.

Application filed December 23, 1902. Serial No. 136,401. (No model.) I

To a, whom it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. WATER- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Railway-Rail Joint, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway-rail joints for uniting the adjacent ends of rails, and has for its object the production of a device whereby the coupling of the rails is attained without the use of transverse clamp-bolts and likewise to provide a solid seat or support for the rails; and the invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, as hereinafter shown and described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the joint complete. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the base-plate and its clampplate. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, reversed, of a portion of the upper plate. Fig. 4. is a cross-sectional view.

The device is applicable to all the various sizes of railway-rails and may be applied Without changing the rail in any respect or adding thereto or removing any portion therefrom.

The rails are represented at 10 11 of the usual construction.

The improvement consists in a base-plate 12 of about the usual length of railway-rail joints and adapted to extend beneath the adjacent ends of, the rails for about the same distance, so that the joint will come about midway of the plate 12. The plate 12 is provided at its ends with oppositely-extended ribs 13 14, transversely disposed and adapted to engage the lower surfaces of the tie-flanges of the rails. Along one side of the base-plate 12 is a depressedportion 15, extending the full length of the base-plate and across the ends of which the ribs 13 14 extend, as shown. The inner edge of the recessed portion15 comes about in vertical alinement with the outer edge of the tie-flanges of the rails, as indicated in Fig. 4. Rising from the plate 2 on the opposite side from the recess 15 is a clamp-plate 16, the latter conformin g to and closely engaging the upper surface of the tiefiange, the vertical web, and likewise engageral displacement.

ing the under side of the tread or head of the rail, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By this means the clamp-plate afiords a firm support to one whole side of the rail except the side and up per surface of the tread.

17 represents another plate adapted to fit in between the ribs 13 14 and in contact with the plate 12 and also engaging the under surfaces of the tie-flanges of the rails, the plate 17 having a depressed portion 18, conforming to and engaging the recess 15. Rising from the plate 17 is a clamp-plate 19, conforming to and closely engaging the upper surface of the tie-flange, the vertical web, and the under side of the tread or head of the rail on the opposite side from the similar plate 16, as shown. By this simple means the lower portions of the rails are closely embraced upon opposite sides and the plate 17', with its clamp-plate l9, rendered laterally adjustable and prevented from longitudinal movement by the ribs 13 14, with which it engages.

By forming the recess 15 in the plate 12 and providing the plate 17 with a depending portion 18- to engage the depressed portion 15 the two portions 15 18 will be the same thickness as the corresponding portion of the plate 12 on the opposite side, while at the same flection of therails caused by the passing trains, but likewise effectually prevents lat- By this simple arrangement theusual transverse tie-bolts are dispensed with, as they are not needed in this arrangement, the reversely-disposed clam'pplates providing ample lateral support to the rails. By this arrangement the laterallymovable plate 17 provides for the variations in the sizes of the rails and enables the device to be readily adapted to all the variations in the thicknesses of the Webs of the rails, so that the clamp-plates may at all times be secured in close engagement therewith. This lateral adjustment of the plate 17 and its atand provision made for securing a close tight joint at all times. I

Any suitable fastening means may be em- I ployed for securing the plates 12 17 together feet long, more or less.

and to the. tie, and this means may be the ordinaryrailway-rail spike, ordinary bolts, or

specially-constructed spikes or bolts, and I.

do not wish to be limited to any specific form of spike or other fastening.

Extending inwardly from the plates 16 19 are spaced lugs 22 23, adapted to engage corresponding apertures in the webs of the rails, and thus support the latter from longitudinal movement. The lugs will preferably be disposed in opposite relations, so that each opposite pair of lugs will engage the same apertures in the web of the rail, each extending to the middle of theweb, as shown in Fig. 4. This reduces the expense by dispensing with a separate hole for each lug and simpli fies the construction, while at the same time securing all needed results.

It will be noted that the end extensions 13 14 of the base-plate 12 engage the lower surfaces of the tie-flanges of the rails and afford a firm support thereto, while at the same time serving as guides to the upper plate 17 and providing for its lateral adj ustment.- The extensions 13 1e thus serve a twofold purposeas supports between the base-plate 12 and the rails and also as guides to the upper plate 17 and prevent longitudinal movement thereto. This is an important feature of the invention and adds materially to the efficiency of the device by distributing the strains uniformly over the two plates, thus prevent ing unequal pressures, and consequently obviating any tendency of the parts to become broken when in use from that cause.

By this simple arrangement a very complete, strong, and durable rail-joint is produced which firmlysupports the adjacent rail ends and prevents sagging or displacement by the concussion of the passing trains or lateral displacement by the severe side strains to which railway-rails are subjected.

The plate 12 and its attachments and the plate 17 and its attachments will preferably be formed of malleable iron of suitable thickness to resist the strains to which they will be subjected and may be of any desired length, but will usually be about the length of ordinary railway-rail joints, which are about two I do not wish, however, to be limited in any manner to any specific sizes of any of the parts. The parts being of malleableiron may be bent, if required, to conform to the rails closely and be thereby readily adaptable to any variations in their shapes.

The outer edges of the plates 12 17-will be 1 provided with cavities 25 for the reception of the holding means 20, the cavities on the side containing the portions 15 18 being preferably arranged to register, as indicated in Fig. 1. By this means both the plates 12 17 are secured together and also to the ties 21 by one set of the holding means 20 at each end, thereby efiecting a saving of expense and labor and also 'avoiding the puncturing of the ties with more than the ordinary number of spikeholes. Sufficient play to allow for expansion and contraction will be left between the lugs 22 23 and the apertures with which they en gage. Under certain conditions the lugs 22 23 may be dispensed with Without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. Arail-jointconsistingofabase=plateand an upper plate superimposed and projecting .beneath the adjacent ends of the rails and provided respectively with clamp-plates conforming to and extending into engagement with the opposite sides of the vertical webs and supporting the treads of the rails, said base-plate extended at its ends to support the flanges of the rails and form guides to the upper plate and provide for its lateral adjustment, substantiallyas described.

2. A rail-joint consisting of abase plate and an upper plate superimposedand projecting beneath the adjacent ends of the rails and provided respectively with clamp-plates conforming to and extending into engagement with the opposite sides of the vertical webs and supporting the treads of the rails,.said base-plate member having a longitudinal recess along one side and said upper plate having a depression corresponding to and engaging the walls of said recess, and registering apertures through said plates for the reception of the holding bolts or spikes, whereby the plates are connected together and to the tie by one set of holding means without increase of thickness,substantially as described.

3. A rail-joint consisting of superimposed plates projecting beneath the adjacent ends of the rails and provided respectively with clamp-plates conforming to and extending into engagementwith the opposite sides of the vertical webs and supporting the treads of the rails, said clamp-plates provided with reversely-extending lugs fitting in corresponding apertures in the webs of the rails, and means for securing said plates together and to the tie, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK E. WVATERSON.

tzo 

